Also read: #MomOfTheYear – Why I’m Not Applauding Her Actions!
If you watch TV on any level, you can’t miss what is going on in Baltimore. Even more, you’ve probably seen the video that has gone viral of Toya Graham basically whopping/beating/chastising her teenage son for potentially participating in the riots. For every person that supports her, there is someone who does not.
I agree with her actions.
Currently we are living in a time where instead of saying, “I wonder IF another black “unarmed” male be killed?” We are saying “When will another black “unarmed” male be killed?” No one wants to be the next victim, just like no one wants to be the next family member suffering because our son, brother, father, and/or cousin didn’t need to be killed.
Toya Graham originally went to the mall to get her child, Michael, and as she stood next to a police officer, she saw her son dressed in sweats, his face covered with a mask and a rock in his hand.
Quick, act like this is you!
Immediately, what would you do?
I would have ran up to my son and probably did the same thing! She is a single mother of 5 girls and 1 son. That son.
That’s her son that she doesn’t want to mourn for committing criminal activity against the police. The same police who surely would have said they were justified if something tragic had happened to him.
That’s her son that she didn’t want to bail out of jail, or to see him get hurt. She basically whooped his behind before the police got him, or before they took him to jail.
She acted off of instinct. What if he would have gotten arrested? That would have brought a court date, sentencing, and then a record – which could possible hinder him from certain colleges and future employment! All for what?
Maybe he is too young to understand the consequences of his actions, but that’s what parents are for. They know that their children don’t understand and have usually been where their children are trying to go.
She knew that this would not end well for her son, and did what most parents would have done – jacked his behind up!
It’s unfortunate that the city lost Freddie Grey, but even his family is calling for PEACE. People have to think about their actions and although the police (who commit these crimes) are wrong. Hurting every policeman (many who are upstanding citizens) & tearing up your own neighborhoods is not the answer. Everyone loses.
So, whether she was a single mom (which shouldn’t matter) or married with a husband who was at work – she still had the right to discipline her son for potentially making a life changing decision. Those 5 or 6 slaps could have potentially saved his life!
So in the heat of the moment, if you can simply call your son’s name with a calm tone, “John, please put down that rock son. This will not end well if you don’t.”
Then go for it because we all would like to see how that turns out!
BMWK family let us know your thoughts in the comment section and be sure to check out the contrasting view on this situation here.
Also read: #MomOfTheYear – Why I’m Not Applauding Her Actions!
I agree with you and this mom. I will say I do not like the way the media is sensationalizing this nor how people are judging this mom. She was scared, hurt, and God knows what else in that moment. She was not concerned about cameras and or anyone but her son. Sure she could have done things different but at that very moment, I believe she reacted to her emotions and the LOVE OF HER SON! Her decisions in this very tense and emotional moment should not be compared to what people believe is child abuse, giving police the right to treat young black men this way, single motherhood or anything else.
Listen, my mom handled me in public when I was a young teen “smelling myself.” Guess what? There were no cameras then nor would she have cared. And guess what else? She was right and I deserved it. I straightened up.
I totally agree! I don’t understand whatever happened to disciplining our kids? The world, to me, wouldn’t be where it is today if parents were “able” to discipline their children the way our parents and grandparents use to. If you notice, in this situation, it actually works!!
They only thing I feel so heart broken about concerning what that mom did was, she was doing it alone, her son was not the only teenager out there, where were other parents. I so applaud her. I went after my son on the streets a few times and he is still with me. Thank God.
I just commented on the opposing view point to this topic, that as a high school teacher, a parent such as this mom would ensure that our school would no longer need a dean of students. Excessive to me would have been if she had knocked his head against the iron. Her reaction was definitely out of concern, and ultimately not wanting him to become another statistic.